WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — It’s one of the most iconic news pictures of the 1970s – a smiling Richard M. Nixon with his arms outstretched in his final goodbye to his staff as he boards a helicopter that will take him from the White House following his resignation from the presidency. It happened this week in 1974.
The series of events that led to his resignation began in June 1972 when five men were arrested for breaking into Democratic Party headquarters at Washington’s Watergate office building. They stole documents and wiretapped the Democrats' phones in an effort to help Republican Nixon’s re-election campaign.
The White House denied any involvement, but it eventually came to light that the former president had worked hard to cover up his role in the break-in.
As more details about the cover-up became known, Congress moved closer to impeaching him. Nixon made the decision to resign from the presidency.
He addressed the nation on live TV the evening of Aug. 8, 1974, and said, “As president, I must put the interests of America first. Therefore, I shall resign the presidency effective at noon tomorrow.”
The next day, the former president said his goodbyes to his staff, then boarded a helicopter to take him to Andrews Air Force Base for his last ride on Air Force One. Nixon was flown to California, where he lived until 1994 when he died at the age of 81.
He never confessed to his involvement but admitted that he had made some bad judgment calls.
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